Henson Alternative Puppet Show Coming To NBC

The network has ordered a script for a single-camera comedy project about a Palm Springs family and its puppet neighbors.

As The Muppets prepares to hit theaters, NBC is readying some puppet fare of its own.
The network is developing The New Neighbors, a single-camera comedy project that centers on a family that lives in Palm Springs and is aghast with their new neighbors -- a gang of puppets.
The project, which hails from Jim Henson Studios in association with Universal Television, counts John Hoffman as a writer and executive producer. Henson Company CEO and Jim Henson's daughter Lisa Henson is attached as a non-writing EP.

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File under the I'll believe it when I see it bin Even if it was just a short lived mid season replacement I'd be curious

Hmmm...sounds interesting, though not the muppets as such (Henson involved but not Disney). NBC does seem to love the muppets though, and who knows maybe this shows there is a market out there for a new Muppet shw of some sort. Me personally, I would be happy with anything puppet related on prime time TV. I just hope it is not something that plays to the lowest denominator.

Something tells me that even if this were to actually happen and not be in the graveyard of abandoned Henson projects, it still would only be a midseason replacement that easily gets canned. The premise is something straight out of the 1980's, and I doubt it will catch on, even if the show's an ironic parody. I'd love to see it but something tells me it's either going to be a concept that never happens or something that doesn't last.

Is this thing still happening? Seems like it's going to be a mid-season replacement if anything.

I totally got confused by ABC's "The Neighbors," a similar premise but with Aliens instead of puppets, thinking that the project was switched to ABC and changed concept. The fact that the two are similarly named doesn't give me much hope, even if this does happen.

Hmmm...sounds interesting, though not the muppets as such (Henson involved but not Disney). NBC does seem to love the muppets though, and who knows maybe this shows there is a market out there for a new Muppet shw of some sort. Me personally, I would be happy with anything puppet related on prime time TV. I just hope it is not something that plays to the lowest denominator.

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Yeah I know what you mean, the muppets were great when the JHC still owned them. Since Disney bought them out they've lost the passion and soul that they originally had...they've become a little TOO
commercial...you know what I mean?

Look at the facts. Disney was able to get a Muppet Movie out. JHC has been pushing for DC 2 for almost 10 years before it just gave up, and We're still waiting for that Fraggle Rock movie.

Passion? You saw Muppets From Space, right? Half of everyone that worked on it was annoyed by it and there was a general malaise through the whole thing. It's a bit of Sony's fault, sure. It took the Muppets 12 years and a company buy out to be theatrical again.

JHC without Jim lacked leadership and vision. They managed to do okay (with Disney's Help) up to 1996, until ABC just dumped Muppets Tonight from their schedule. Sure, VMX was a ratings smash. That was the only thing they had that was a hit. Though I do blame Disney for MWOZ being rushed, but it was done under Henson with production by Fox (no wonder why it was essentially a commercial for American Idol).

And then Disney made The Muppets. The movie that put them back on the map. Such passion was flowing from the new writers and director. Something that was sadly missing in some of their later works.

But above all... Disney got more done than JHC. Sure, we lost a Halloween special, a reality TV spoof we wouldn't have liked, a mockumentary that sounded kinda good, and an election special that would have been rushed, dated, and not funny. But we got a Christmas special, most of the show on DVD, an actual movie that did well enough for a follow up. Now what has JHC done? 2 CGI PBS shows (one has Henson solely as a producer) and sometimes Puppet Up.

Look at the facts. Disney was able to get a Muppet Movie out. JHC has been pushing for DC 2 for almost 10 years before it just gave up, and We're still waiting for that Fraggle Rock movie.

Passion? You saw Muppets From Space, right? Half of everyone that worked on it was annoyed by it and there was a general malaise through the whole thing. It's a bit of Sony's fault, sure. It took the Muppets 12 years and a company buy out to be theatrical again.

JHC without Jim lacked leadership and vision. They managed to do okay (with Disney's Help) up to 1996, until ABC just dumped Muppets Tonight from their schedule. Sure, VMX was a ratings smash. That was the only thing they had that was a hit. Though I do blame Disney for MWOZ being rushed, but it was done under Henson with production by Fox (no wonder why it was essentially a commercial for American Idol).

And then Disney made The Muppets. The movie that put them back on the map. Such passion was flowing from the new writers and director. Something that was sadly missing in some of their later works.

But above all... Disney got more done than JHC. Sure, we lost a Halloween special, a reality TV spoof we wouldn't have liked, a mockumentary that sounded kinda good, and an election special that would have been rushed, dated, and not funny. But we got a Christmas special, most of the show on DVD, an actual movie that did well enough for a follow up. Now what has JHC done? 2 CGI PBS shows (one has Henson solely as a producer) and sometimes Puppet Up.

So... where the heck is this new puppet sitcom?

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No...you don't understand what I mean. The muppets pre Disney, had a feeling to them that they took good time and pride in their work with Disney it seems too much like they think if they put more money into it they will get a better response. I used to like diney but I've noticed recently that everything they've been producing is either a really dumb ( and I mean dumb) sitcom or some movie that they pretty much just financed and put their name on it. It isn't that I don't like muppets so don't think I don't. I just think that they were better before disney. But it's partially Henson company's fault too. For example Kermit the frog was a character Jim created out of his mothers green coat for Sam and Friends. Then he was on classic sesame street. Then he was part of the muppets (owned by the Jim Henson company), Jim died 14 years later they just sold off Jim's most famous creation and can't even use him without getting permission from Disney. And The Muppets(2011)...I feel like kids who are just being introduced to the muppets arent getting an authentic view of them, I know times have changed but still. So please don't be mad at me and I totally agree with you about the sitcom by the way